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I'm a former Trinity House Cadet I have my BSc in Nautical Science with a faculty scholar award for my sea time and final academic semester, and the best bachelor degree student in the college award, I also have my endorsements for oil and chemical.

I had an in with Teekay and have a technical interview with them next week, but even so they're only really looking people with LNG experience and endorsements I must have just got lucky. They recruited last November.

BP are of no help they want officers with at least 6 Months of experience, as officers on a tanker. I had an in with a captain, but they told me to come back with the experience.

RFA don't want you unless you have your Chief Mates / Masters.

Pritchard Gordon tell you they're expanding their fleet but don't need anyone yet. That was nearly 12 months ago contacted them again never heard back.

I haven't tried James Fisher, or Whitaker so have no experience with them.

I also have friends in Shell and Chevron and neither company is recruiting.

We've been messaging back and forth seaman95 so you know I wish you the best of luck.

It's incredibly frustrating that we all work our backsides off as cadets to fulfill the pipe dream of qualifying and getting that job the colleges sell to you as a completely abundant job market. All I've managed so far is a three month stint on a 91.4GT tug in the Atlantic, good money but the job was crap, and again only got it through a friend because someone else saw the boat and said sod that, and they needed someone within 24 hours.

All I can say is apply to all of them, you never know you might get lucky. Damn, maybe its just me they don't want. But to be fair the future is pretty bleak for newly qualified officers that aren't guaranteed work after their cadetship. If I could go back I would have taken the Chevron cadetship I was offered not the Trinity one as at least I'd have a job now. I just though the varied experience would stand to me.

Nobody wants a newly qualified officer, even if theirs supposed to be a shortage.

Id happily go on a foreign vessel with loads of foreign crew that hardly speak a word of English, id even take a massive pay-cut if it meant getting some experience.

Hi,

I have no wish to make you feel bad, I want to try and help you but Snowy has just announced he has just got a job. I do know that there are jobs out there and I am surprised that you were not able to take advantage of "Turkey Fever" in December. How much help have you had in your job search with regards to checking your CV, checking your letters, lists of contacts etc.?

Shout on here if you need help. I do not think you have contacted me - but then I have been a little pre-occuoied recently, so maybe you have and I have ignored you. If so, sorry!

Regards,

Ian

"Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk." - Sir Francis Chichester.

"Waves are not measured in feet or inches, they are measured in increments of fear." - Buzzy Trent

I've had a few people ask me for advice now, and thought I might put my 2p worth down on paper.

I have to say that my situation is still quite unique, in that I have a big CV behind me, which undoubtedly got me this job. But it was still very difficult to get my CV across peoples' desks. Most of my friends who didn't get jobs with their sponsor companies are still seeing a 3-6 month wait at least.

I have been asked who to contact and who to avoid, and that seems like a good place to start

Don't avoid anywhere! But I would caveat that at don't sell yourself short either. Taking AB jobs should be a total last resort. We are some of the most qualified and best trained seafarers in the world, have that in the front of your mind.

If I can give any advice it is to attack the smaller companies directly. Similar to Hatch's thread here http://www.officercadet.com/showthre...job-Read-this! you have to try and get through to a proper phone call with an actual individual who has something to do with the recruitment process.

Use linked in and take the hit on a premium account for a couple of months (make sure your page looks as good as it can first!!). Use it to find the HR manager or crew manager for the company and send them a direct message asking if you may forward a CV. Get phone numbers and speak to the human directly. Be polite but persistent. Plan a phrase such as "I'd really like some information on your part of the industry because I spent my cadetship on xxx and I would like to know more about how my skills could be transferable to your vessels? Could you put me through to someone who may be able to tell me more?" Use that as an in and have a personalized and well tailored CV ready to go to their email address right after the call. They may ask you to tell them more about you on the spot so be ready.

I did this with every single cruise company in Europe and got a grand total of two interviews for positions in their pool of deck officers.

If you send CV's and don't hear back, chase it up! Ask for feedback, and when the next round of recruitment may be. Don't be passive about this.

This may also work with the faceless larger companies, but in all honesty, from my experience that is a very tough brick wall unless you already have contacts there.

Use recruiters, but again be politely aggressive, ring them every week and chase them up. They are paid to find you a post! If you nag them then your name will be at the front of their mind.

Alongside all this find something that makes you REALLY stand out from the pile of CVs. Congratulations you were in the sea cadets, have powerboat level 2, so was everybody. For yachting this needs to be serious watersports instructor tickets, for cargo try designated security or safety officer, or perhaps a welding/working at height or enclosed spaces qualification. I know these are expensive but it might get you the edge and you are networking with people who do have jobs the whole way. If you can speak another language make sure that is on there, especially for ferries and yachts. You might never use it but it is something that makes you stand out and gets your CV through the sift. This also helps if you have spoken to the person who is sifting, as they will remember you if you've left a good impression on the phone.

If you cant pad yourself out that way, then Volunteer - Lifeboats, Tall Ships. Get a deckhand job on a local ferry/pleasureboat. General dogsbody at a local marina. Pack that CV with good nautical stuff. Who knows you might happen to help clean some CEO's yacht and be able to get a contact number. Network!

Yes it is bleak, and the system is broken. Watching Warsash hosting a Careers At Sea open day seems borderline criminal, but I do believe if you are good enough, there will be a job out there for you, you just have to find it. Canis Canem Edit.

(That said - PROSPECTIVE CADETS, try to get a job with a company that guarantees a position on qualification first (Big Cruise, Big Oil, RFA), or you WILL join the massed ranks of newly qualified and inexperienced officers!)

Above all of this though you have to have the right attitude. Look smart, be polite and alert. Be relentless and attack the search with good natured, but determined aggression, go out and ask for a job, don't just send CV's and wait for one to show up. And don't give up, if you do you don't deserve a job in this market.

Good Luck.

Last edited by Snowy; 2 Weeks Ago at 05:05 PM.
Reason: toning it down a bit

The following 2 users say Thank You to Snowy for this useful post:

Don't avoid anywhere! But I would caveat that at don't sell yourself short either. Taking AB jobs should be a total last resort. We are some of the most qualified and best trained seafarers in the world, have that in the front of your mind.

An AB job can be an excellent starting point. Several unemployed NQOs I've spoken to seem to think the work is beneath them, but it's a foot in the door and money in the bank, and certainly looks better on a CV than 6 months sat at home 'job hunting'.

An AB job can be an excellent starting point. Several unemployed NQOs I've spoken to seem to think the work is beneath them, but it's a foot in the door and money in the bank, and certainly looks better on a CV than 6 months sat at home 'job hunting'.

Might be worth mentioning that I have heard of qualified OOWs taking jobs as ABs and that leaving an odd mark in their Discharge Books. So much so that some companies seem to not want them.
Take it with salt if youd like.

For the people who are struggling to find that first stamp just a little from my experience.i was in the same situation as every one else i was looking for months for my first officer position so eventually I said I'd be happy to just work as an ab.i started making phone calls and sending cvs to every company and recruitment agency that hire UK and Irish abs on a Monday morning by Wednesday morning I was on a ro-ro getting a 150 pounds a day as a ab good money considering I was getting Notting a day on the Monday.i did this for a few trips doing any trips that the had available some times even leaving on ship to just go straight on another one.when I was on board I worked hard as I could possibly could work then on my off time I would go to the bridge and ask questions and just show some interest then one day the captain said that he put my name in to the office for the 3rd officer position that was going to become available.then two weeks later got a call to join another vessel as I was moved around from vessel to vessel I joined as ab but was told wjen got on board I am going to stay on the bridge for 2 days and in two day I'd be promoted to 3rd I got 6 months work after that as 3rd on temp contracts now iam in a diffrent company and just got promoted to 2nd there is loads of temp work for abs and I no if you work hard and show interest it will all work out